Josef Myslivecek, born in Prague, spent most of his life in Italy, where he achieved great success with his operas and where he was called "The Bohemian" or "Venatorino" ("The little hunter") due to his unpronounceable name. For a long time he was the highest paid opera composer in Italy. Eighteen of his operas were copied for the court of Portugal, and his works were printed in Paris, Amsterdam and London. In Bologna he met Mozart in 1770; their paths crossed again several times. Mozart said that he was "full of fire, witty and fun-loving". Myslivecek's influence can be felt in Mozart's early operas, violin concertos, symphonies and piano works. Myslivecek's music soon became obsolete, however, and his works were only rediscovered as of above-average quality a few decades ago. The recording of the piano concertos by Clare Hammond is an absolutely new discovery.